This is a very kind act by Elly. I knowfolks who live alone or in nursing homes with no surviving relatives and are very happy when our visiting group drops by.
But I’m sure the Ellyhaters here will find some reason to criticize her for this.
My mother was a waitress at a popular restaurant. When she was pregnant with my younger brother, she had these regular customers, an older couple, Lil & Abe. They had only one son and no prospects for grandchildren. They developed a friendship with my mother, and she offered to them becoming honorary grandparents to the 7 of us kids.
Lil & Abe quickly became a permanent part of the family. Even though they lived in Connecticut & we lived in NH, they came to each and every family event: weddings, graduations, etc. We all mourned deeply when Grandpa Abe died, but Grandma Lil remained a steadfast part of our family.
Admittedly, the older kids in my family, although they CALLED her “Grandma Lil”, they all still felt of her as a close family friend; not so much me and my younger brother, for whom she was truly “Grandma”. When my brother died, she mourned for him as much as if he were a blood grandchild.
When Grandma Lil finally passed away, her surviving blood family decided that I, as her only “real grandchild”, should receive one of her most precious possessions: her wedding ring…which I still wear next to my own to this very day.
Who would voluntarily put themselves into a nursing home, which I assumed Mrs. Baird did after she sold her house, not having any relatives to help her? All that I have visited are understaffed, crowded, and depressing places.
Many senior independent living residents are quite nice. We have older friends who live in a two bedroom, two bath apartment. It has a little kitchen but they take most of their meals in the dining room. They have hosted us there for a couple of Sunday afternoon dinners and it is as nice as any restaurant. I’d live in a place like that myself but it ain’t cheap!Since my parents have passed on I have a number of friends ten to twenty five years older than myself and we go on outings together. “Friends are the family you choose for yourself.”
The kids are back in school. What do you expect Ellie to do, sit home and stare at the walls until they come home. Or park in front of the school all day to make sure they aren’t cutting. And Michael was already punished for the "peeping tom’ incident, I’m pretty sure he won’t repeat that offense. And as for his schoolwork, a boy Michael’s age doesn’t need his mother micro-managing his homework. If he wants help fine, she can help him. But he needs to learn to do his own work. Hovering over a kid when he’s trying to do math problems or write assignments accomplishes nothing except stressing the parent and the kid out.And Mrs. Baird was never “a young mother.” In her generation if it didn’t happen naturally, there were no fertility drugs or in vitro or surrogacy arrangements. Only option was adoption which she and her husband apparently never did. Her husband died, so she started raising and showing Old English Sheepdogs to keep herself busy. And when John & Ellie moved in, she adopted them as the family she never had. And finagled Ellie into adopting Farley so the kids could have a dog.
What a culture we have, with people losing importance as they age when it should be going in the other direction. Whatever one thinks of immigration (Me: “The poem on the Statue of Liberty still means something, but please come legally”), the love and respect that Mexicans traditionally show their elders is something I’d gladly welcome north of the border.
Templo S.U.D. over 7 years ago
well, aren’t we all – in a way – related to one another?
Can't Sleep over 7 years ago
Many of the closet people we have in our lives are ones we aren’t related to.And some of the most distant are ‘family.’
Argythree over 7 years ago
This is a very kind act by Elly. I knowfolks who live alone or in nursing homes with no surviving relatives and are very happy when our visiting group drops by.
But I’m sure the Ellyhaters here will find some reason to criticize her for this.
Wren Fahel over 7 years ago
Apologies for the long story:
My mother was a waitress at a popular restaurant. When she was pregnant with my younger brother, she had these regular customers, an older couple, Lil & Abe. They had only one son and no prospects for grandchildren. They developed a friendship with my mother, and she offered to them becoming honorary grandparents to the 7 of us kids.
Lil & Abe quickly became a permanent part of the family. Even though they lived in Connecticut & we lived in NH, they came to each and every family event: weddings, graduations, etc. We all mourned deeply when Grandpa Abe died, but Grandma Lil remained a steadfast part of our family.
Admittedly, the older kids in my family, although they CALLED her “Grandma Lil”, they all still felt of her as a close family friend; not so much me and my younger brother, for whom she was truly “Grandma”. When my brother died, she mourned for him as much as if he were a blood grandchild.
When Grandma Lil finally passed away, her surviving blood family decided that I, as her only “real grandchild”, should receive one of her most precious possessions: her wedding ring…which I still wear next to my own to this very day.
Willywise52 Premium Member over 7 years ago
@Jim in CT Pretty sure you meant “closest people” instead of “closet people”?Hope so anyway.I don’t care to talk about MY “closet people”:)
rebroxanna over 7 years ago
@K.C. Fahel. Great story! I think it’s wonderful that her “blood family” were so thoughtful and considerate.
summerdog86 over 7 years ago
Who would voluntarily put themselves into a nursing home, which I assumed Mrs. Baird did after she sold her house, not having any relatives to help her? All that I have visited are understaffed, crowded, and depressing places.
roberta.forbes.pyle over 7 years ago
Many senior independent living residents are quite nice. We have older friends who live in a two bedroom, two bath apartment. It has a little kitchen but they take most of their meals in the dining room. They have hosted us there for a couple of Sunday afternoon dinners and it is as nice as any restaurant. I’d live in a place like that myself but it ain’t cheap!Since my parents have passed on I have a number of friends ten to twenty five years older than myself and we go on outings together. “Friends are the family you choose for yourself.”
Asharah over 7 years ago
The kids are back in school. What do you expect Ellie to do, sit home and stare at the walls until they come home. Or park in front of the school all day to make sure they aren’t cutting. And Michael was already punished for the "peeping tom’ incident, I’m pretty sure he won’t repeat that offense. And as for his schoolwork, a boy Michael’s age doesn’t need his mother micro-managing his homework. If he wants help fine, she can help him. But he needs to learn to do his own work. Hovering over a kid when he’s trying to do math problems or write assignments accomplishes nothing except stressing the parent and the kid out.And Mrs. Baird was never “a young mother.” In her generation if it didn’t happen naturally, there were no fertility drugs or in vitro or surrogacy arrangements. Only option was adoption which she and her husband apparently never did. Her husband died, so she started raising and showing Old English Sheepdogs to keep herself busy. And when John & Ellie moved in, she adopted them as the family she never had. And finagled Ellie into adopting Farley so the kids could have a dog.
hcarpenter1 over 7 years ago
nursing homes can be very depressing and scary places for the elderly………and the help most of the time hurt and abuse them…………..
Guilty Bystander over 7 years ago
What a culture we have, with people losing importance as they age when it should be going in the other direction. Whatever one thinks of immigration (Me: “The poem on the Statue of Liberty still means something, but please come legally”), the love and respect that Mexicans traditionally show their elders is something I’d gladly welcome north of the border.
BlitzMcD over 7 years ago
This one hits home. One of the best installments of this strip in some time.
John Reece over 7 years ago
Fact is, you can pick your friends, but you are stuck with your family.